NHTSA Complaint #10396011 — 2003 BUICK REGAL

ON MULTIPLE BUT INTERMITTENT OCCASIONS, WHEN THE LEFT TURN SIGNAL IS ENGAGED ALL DASHBOARD WARNING LIGHTS FLASH AND THE VEHICLE STOPS RUNNING. I WAS FORTUNATE IN THAT IT NEVER OCCURRED IN HEAVY TRAFFIC, BUT IT STILL REPRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT DANGER. ON ONE PARTICULAR OCCASION, IT FAILED TO RESTART AND I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED GM DEALER WHO KEPT IT FOR SEVEN DAYS BUT FAILED TO FIND OR FIX THE PROBLEM. INSTEAD, THEY REPLACED "BROKEN AND LOOSE CONNECTORS ON THE FUSE BOX." WHEN THE PROBLEM RECURRED TWO DAYS LATER, I RETURNED TO THE GM DEALER WHO, DESPITE KEEPING THE VEHICLE FOR ANOTHER THREE DAYS, STILL FAILED TO FIND THE PROBLEM. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO AN AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST BUT FIRST SEARCHED THE INTERNET UNDER "2003 BUICK ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS", AND FOUND THAT THIS WAS A FAIRLY COMMON PROBLEM THAT GM WAS AWARE OF (A GM CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE HAD REPLIED ON ONE OF THE FORUMS - EDMUNDS.COM? - THAT GM READS THESE FORUMS). HAVING LEARNED FROM THE FORUMS THAT THE MOST PROBABLE CAUSE WAS THE IGNITION SWITCH, I TOOK IT TO AN AUTOMOTIVE ELECTRICAL SPECIALIST WHO FOUND A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH AND REPLACED IT. (REGRET OLD PART NO LONGER AVAILABLE). *TR